British firms keen on PPP projects

MANILA, Philippines - British companies have expressed interest to participate in the government’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP) program for infrastructure, British Ambassador to the Philippines Stephen Lillie said.

 “The reforms undertaken by the Philippine government in infrastructure finance and improving the business environment through the anti-corruption initiatives are the reasons why British companies are keen to be engaged in the Philippines’ infrastructure program,” he said following a PPP event organized last week by the British Embassy in Manila.

The British Embassy in Manila gathered experts from the United Kingdom, Philippines and Vietnam to share their experiences in infrastructure development, particularly PPP.

The event served as a venue to discuss opportunities in infrastructure development in the country.

Lillie said the commercial opportunities in the Philippines for PPP are huge.

“The opportunities are large because the needs and expectations of the people are large. Investment now can be the platform needed for sustained growth in the years ahead,” he said.

During the PPP forum, Secretary Joseph Abaya and Undersecretary Rene Limcaoco of the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC), Undersecretary Teodoro Herbosa of the Department of Health (DOH) and executive director Cosette Canilao of the Philippine PPP Centre presented the country’s PPP and infrastructure framework, outlook and the opportunities in handling and delivering projects.

Representatives from leading British firms attended the forum. These companies include Arup, Tata Steel International, IMC Worldwide, Kier Construction, Tony Gee & Partners, SKM Colin Buchanan, KM&T, GE Healthcare and Ryder Architecture.

The UK government’s interest in PPP projects stems from the fact that it is among the pioneers in the PPP scheme. It was one of the pioneers of PPP in the 1980s and has used the scheme to deliver world-class infrastructure including in the health and education sectors, the British Embassy said in a statement.